Cold,dry air is associated with influenza and pneumonia mortality in Auckland,New Zealand |
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| Authors: | Robert E Davis Erin Dougherty Colin McArthur Qiu Sue Huang Michael G Baker |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA;2. Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand;3. Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Wellington, New Zealand;4. University of Otago‐Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand |
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| Abstract: | The relationship between weather and influenza and pneumonia mortality was examined retrospectively using daily data from 1980 to 2009 in Auckland, New Zealand, a humid, subtropical location. Mortality events, defined when mortality exceeded 0·95 standard deviation above the mean, followed periods of anomalously cold air (ta.m. = ?4·1, P < 0·01; tp.m. = ?4·2, P < 0·01) and/or anomalously dry air (ta.m. = ?4·1, P < 0·01; tp.m. = ?3·8, P < 0·01) by up to 19 days. These results suggest that respiratory infection is enhanced during unusually cold conditions and during conditions with unusually low humidity, even in a subtropical location where humidity is typically high. |
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| Keywords: | Air temperature climate humidity influenza mortality seasonality weather |
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